Has everyone packed up for the year? I used to love camping in winter but lost the love of it after this years experiences on sites, hopefully those people who went camping because they couldn`t get abroad start to go abroad....
I have a trip provisionally planned for the days in between the festive Bank Holidays, largely dependent upon good weather, as in dry with light winds.
I shan't go if the weather is foul as both the dog and I do not like being wet!
I stopped camping in a tent in the colder months when I had my ESVO Bedouin 340 cotton canvas pyramid tent, as it was too big and cumbersome to dry when it was wet.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Five nights booked for over New Year.
Probably a bit too early to finally realise my dream of getting snow to settle on our Karsten, but hey ho, gotta keep trying! We can always try again in January... and February... and March!
We do only have 6A EHU though apparently, so I'm guessing we may have to turn our 1800w fan heater down to the 1300w setting, for the first time ever!
Still, once we're in our hefty 5 season fleece-lined fishermans sleeping bags, in our HeatHolder thermal undies, we always sleep like well fed and well winded babies!
We do have a couple of advantages though... or cheats, as some might call them...
1/ We're going with friends who will be in their caravan, on the next pitch, so the bulk of the evenings will be spent sat in there, keeping them company, with the central heating on full, and Jools Holland on the telly for NYE! Oh these fancy caravan-dwellers live!
2/ The office next to ours is currently empty, and whilst it stays so, we have permission to use it as a tent drying room.
We’re currently on a site that’s open all year. There’s a car roof tent here, partnered with a tent for sitting in. All the food is out on a picnic table. It’s very mild but it’s been blowing a hoolie, it can’t have been a restful night.
We used to have snow on our tent quite regularly at Easter, 20+ years ago - Moffat, Dunkeld, I’ve forgotten where else. But that’s become less common with climate change.
Quote: Originally posted by Mucker1884 on 18/11/2021
We do only have 6A EHU though apparently, so I'm guessing we may have to turn our 1800w fan heater down to the 1300w setting, for the first time ever!
My heart skipped a beat when I arrived on a site in late October 2021 to be informed the EHU was only 6A, then I remembered I was not tenting, and the van has a diesel heater and hot water system, DOH!!!
You'll be fine with the winter gears mentioned, and I hope you'll get to see some snow during the trip.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
I’m hoping to do a push bike ride along the Thames path to Chertsey C&CC for an overnighter in December. Got a fab deal on an MSR Mutha Hubba from Addnature - will be a bit different from the usual Karsten + EHU setup. Last time I went cycle touring was in summer 1988 - wish me luck!
Good Luck with your Cycle ride along the Thames Path .
You might be Ok with the weather In December .
The last time I did a Cycle tour was in the Hot Summer of 2018 .
Cycled and Camped out on a tour of North Wales
200 miles covered over 5 Days .
Stayed one night at Manorafon Farm Campsite next to Gwyrch Castle .
Now famous on "I'm a celebrity get me out of here ".
Ps. I won't camp,
tent In a one man tent in Cold Snowy conditions
not Ideal .
But Hope you all enjoy It 😉
The last time I went out in my tent in winter (well, alright, autumn then - it was in October) it was boiling hot during the day and absolutely freezing at night. I couldn't believe how quickly the temperature dropped in the tent after sunset. I had an oil filled radiator on EHU which was about as effective as a candle in a blizzard.
Not doing that again.... I'm far too much of a wimp. Am I allowed to be? I am 73 after all, and on my own, with only the dog to cuddle up to. Every night I got into my sleeping bag still wearing all my clothes!
------------- Life without dogs? I don't think so!
I have cancelled my 3-nights between 27 to 30 December as I CBA to get the van ready, so that's it of 2021 for me and the van.
We did well for our first year IMHO.
One work-related trip has been cancelled for 2022 in January due to current Covid uncertainties.
I may go out in the van if the weather is bright, clear, dry with light winds in Q1 of 2022, nothing is booked, so it would be very ad hoc.
Otherwise, I shall wait until April 2022 when I have one site already booked.
The trip to France/Netherlands in May/June 2022 has been postponed as I am involved in a big outdoor event locally and need to stay close at home. With current Covid uncertainties, I don't want to be stuck in Mainland Europe, so I would prefer to defer the trip until later in the year or even 2023!
Stay safe everyone!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Caravan all year round . Got weekend booked at whitewater Park in Jan . Castleton at peak district in feb ..weekends in-between ...easter in yorkshire ...should be France but have booked keswick incase France is put off again !
Quote: Originally posted by Craigyoung on 20/12/2021
Caravan all year round . Got weekend booked at whitewater Park in Jan .
We now Motorhome all year round too. Folks here are talking about camping, in a tent. Waking to snow on the canvas above your head is a different experience from snow on a “tin tent”.
I spent 2 Christmas's wild camping in the Lake District with 3 mates in 2 Vango force10 tents. Camping next to Styhead Tarn and Stickle Tarn. I had a Blacks Summit sleeping bag and l don't remember being cold. We thought we would have been the first up Scafell Pike, but at 9am there were 12 already up. I have also spent many solo winter camps in Snowdonia and North Yorkshire.
But that was 45 years ago. Now we have a PVC camper, just returned from 3 nights in Ludlow, we use the van all year.
Well here we are, Christmas behind us already and I'm itching to get out camping, especially as a lovely person gave me a Vango 'Shangri-La' self-inflating sleeping mat for Christmas. I've previously had air mattresses but they both deflated during the night - not nice waking up on solid (and very cold) ground!
The thing that's still putting me off winter camping though, is the possibility of inclement weather. The cold I can cope with (I think) but the idea of either setting up or packing down in the pouring rain does not fill me with enthusiasm. Oh, and then there's the mud... As I haven't got a garage, if i have to pack away my tent wet and dirty it means I have to spread it out indoors to dry it out. Oh joy....
So ok, I am a wimp.
This may seem like a silly question but are cotton canvas tents any easier to keep warm than nylon ones?
------------- Life without dogs? I don't think so!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: end of year
via mobile 18/11/2021 at 10:16am
